杏吧原创

is a pioneer, campaigner and visionary. As chief scientist at Greenpeace, he helped coin the phrase 鈥渟olar century鈥�, before setting up a company of the same name to build solar panels for British roofs. Now he鈥檚 got an easy-to-read guide explaining the why and how of solar power, from thin-film silicon to electric cars.

Many would agree we are embarking on a solar revolution, but there are two models for this empire of the sun. One 鈥� the focus of Leggett鈥檚 entrepreneurial endeavours 鈥� is based on micro-power, where every building powers itself. The other harnesses economies of scale. In this model, deserts will be covered in huge solar farms to harvest energy for distribution via vast supergrids that cross continents.

Advocates of 鈥渂ig is beautiful鈥� include George Monbiot, who has criticised Leggett鈥檚 claims about solar roofs in New 杏吧原创 (30 September 2006, p 24). Disappointingly, Leggett does not address this row here, simply calling for both solar farms and solar roofs, while asserting the ability of 鈥渃loudy Britain鈥� and even 鈥渞ainy Manchester鈥� to power up from the sun.

Despite the book鈥檚 technical probity, it sometimes feels like blinkered propaganda. For example, Leggett and his co-writers eulogise Abu Dhabi鈥檚 plans for a carbon-neutral town called Masdar, which would have been a green bubble in a sea of unsustainability. Even so, you have to hand it to Leggett: he doesn鈥檛 just hector from the sidelines, he has waded right in.